Henhouse



w. c. CLARE.

HENHOUSE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9. 1918.

1,320,204., 7 Pzltcntvd Oct. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w. c. CLARE. HENHOUSE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9. 1918 Patented Oct. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

5: NEW pg WILLIAM C. CLARE, F OSWEGO, NEW YORK.

irnnnousn Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 9, 1918. Serial No. 265,905.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. CLARE, a citizen of the United States of-America, and resident of Oswego, in the county of Oswego, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in flenhouses, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in hen houses in which ventilation, sanitation, convenience and general efficiency in properly housing and caring for the fowls are important objects although other specific objects will be brought out in the following description. 4

In the drawings v Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hen house embodying the various features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view of the same taken on line *2, Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3- isa horizontal sectional view taken in the plane of line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of a portion of the hen house showing more particularly the roosts and underlying platform and one of the nests.

Asillustrated, this,hen house comprises a rectangular concrete floor 1 preferably of greater length from end to end than its width from front to rear and from the marginal edges of which rise front and rear walls 2 and 3, opposite end walls 4 and an upright transverse partition 5 extending from the front wall to the rear wall substantially midway between the end walls for dividing the interior of the house into practically equal compartments or chambers in which fowls of different breeds may be kept separated if desired.

A hollow roof 6 of substantially the same or slightly greater area than the floor is supported upon the upper edges of the side and end walls to cover the entire space inclosed thereby and is composed of an upper section 7, or roof proper, and a subsection 7' arranged in spaced relation to form an intervening air-space or ventilating chamber 8.

The front wall -2 is preferably of greater height than the rear wall 3 and is provided with lower, intermediate and upper openings 9, 10 and 11 for lighting and p 9, 10, and 11' ventilating purposes, said openings bein provided, respectively, g

with doors orsashes hinged to swing about horizontal, parallel axes to their open or closed posltions as may be desired, the lower sashes or doors being hinged substantially midway between their upper and lower edges while the intermediate and upper doors or sashes 10: and 11' are preferably hinged along their upper edges.

e upper opening 11 and its swinging door 11' are directly under the eaves of the roof and preferably extend from end to end of the building and downwardly to approximately the horizontal plane of the upper edge of .the partition 5 which latter is of less height from the floor than the front wall 2 so as to leave a clear open space Patented oct. as, rare. I

between the upper edge of the partition and the overlying portion of the lower roof plate 7- as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, thereby allowing a free circulation of air from one compartment or chamber to the other above the partition.

The rear wall 3 is hollow from the roof down to within a relatively short distance from the floor -1- thus forming an air chamber -8' communicating with the roof chamber -8', the inner side of said wall being somewhat narrower vertically than the outer side to afford an air passage 12 connecting the interior compartments ofthe house with the air passage 8 along the floor whereby the foul air may find a ready exit through said passage 12, 8 and 8 thence through ventilating openings 13 or a flue 14: leading from the larger portion of the chamber -8 to the atmosphere.

It is now clear that the compartments of the house may be easily and quickly'ventilated by simply opening one or more of the doors or windows in the front wall of the house and allowing the fresh air to pass through the compartments and out through the exits 12, 8 and Sand 13 or 14.

The upper roof plate is gabled near the front of the building so that the rear portion thereof inclines gradually from the gable toward the rear and is of much greater length than the portion at the front of the gable which inclines more abruptly or at a greater angle than the rear portion.

The front half of the underlying roof plate 7 lies in a substantially horizontal plane between the gable of the upper plate and upper edge of the partition 5-' the floor and other parts of the compart-' ments where the fowls may be assembled.

These ventilating chambers Sand 8 extend from end to end of the building and therefore communicate with both compartments thereof through the passages l2- near the fioor so as to permit the escape of the foul air near the level of the main source of contamination although similar provisions are made at higher elevations as for example through the passages -12' at approximately vthe level of the elevated roosts, as 15, and underlying catchplates 16 which receive the deposits from the fowls on the roosts.'

The partition 5 and one of the end walls 4.- are provided with upright doors -l7- and 18' near the front wall 2 to permit access of the attendant to the building and. to the compartments thereof.

The roosts 15 and underlying catch plate -16 extend from end to end to the building near the rear side thereof but are divided midway between their ends into two sections, each of which is hinged to the inner plate of the rear wall to swing vertically.

Each roost section comprises a pair of lengthwise parallel bars -19 secured in spaced relation by screws .20 to a series of underlying transverse parallel rods 21--, the latter being also spaced apart longitudinally of the house and have their rear ends hinged at 22- to the front plate of the rear wall 3 directly above the passage 12 so that the forward ends of the roost sections may be rocked upwardly away from the underlying catch plate -16 to permit thorough cleansing of all parts of the roosts and also to permit more.

convenient access to the plate 16 for cleaning purposes.

The plate sections 16 are also hinged 'along their rear edges at 23 to the inner upright plate of the rear wall 3 directly below the passage 12' to permit its forward end to swing upwardly from a normal horizontal position and thereby to further facilitate the cleaning thereof.

Suitable frame sections 24 are I secured lengthwise of the housing to and between the opposite end walls 4- and partition 5 so as to lie in the same horizontal and vertical planes, end to end directly under the front portion of the plate 16 apart therefrom and from the inner plate of the rear wall so as to leave a clear open space between the rear side of said frame and the overlying late '16 and rear wall 3 through WhlCh the'fowls may readily pass into the nests, said frame -21 consisting of front and rear walls 25 and +26- in spaced parallel relation and a screen bottom 27 thus forming a lengthwise space which is divided at regular intervals by transverse partitions 2 8 to form a series of nests in which the fowls may lay their eggs and also to support the free edges of the plates 16. p

The lower rear side of the frame 24 is provided with a rearwardly projecting ledge 29 upon which the fowls may rest temporarily in selecting their nests.

Direct communication between the several nests and interior of the compartments at the front thereof is normally cut off by doors 30- which are hinged at 31- to the upper edges of the front walls -25 of the frame 24- to swing forwardly and downwardly, the upper edge of said doors X-normally closing against the partitions plate rests upon the up er ed e of the artitions' 28. p g p The width of the catch plates 16 from front to rear and the relation of said plate to the nests is such that when the door 30 1s opened, the front edge of the plate 16- will overhang the upper front edge of the frame 24 to allow any deposits thereon to be readily removed without liability of falling into the nests, or, if necessary, the doors 30 and plates -16 may be left in their normal positions and the roosts raised to permit the cleaning of the plate and roosts. The passages leading from the ventilating chamber 12- to the interior of the compartments of the hen house are preferably provided with screens, as 34. to prevent the entrance of rodents.

The opening 11- in the upper portions of the front wall of the hen house is also covered by screen -34 to provide for the necessary ventilation when the door -11'- is open.

Suitable feed boxes 35 are secured to theinner faces of the front walls of the compartments directly below the openings -9 so that the attendant may easily re: plenish the food supply from the outside without entering the building. Each compartment is also equipped with a vegetable basket -36-, a water fountain 37- and a waste box 38, the vegetable baskets being preferably made of screen wire and are secured directly opposite each other to the partition 5 near the door 17-- therein.

In like manner, the water fountains 37- are secured directly opposite toeach other to the partition -5 above the floor and upon suitable ledges -39' at the rear of the vegetable baskets 86.

The waste boxes 38 are secured to the inner faces of-theend walls of the hen house above the floor in line with and directly opposite each other.

The front wall of the hen house is provided near the floor line with passages 40 through which the fowls may readily pass but may be closed when desired by slide doors 41, Fig. 1. It will be observedthat all of the interior fixtures, such as the feed box, vegetable basket, waste baskets, water fountains and nests are wholly above the floor, which is therefore free from obstructions and may be readily flushed or cleansed throughout its area without disturbing any of said fixtures, all of which together with the system ofventilation afiords a particularly convenient and sanitary hen house and at the same time allows the fowls the utmost freedom of movement and care with a minimum amount of labor.

The roosts l5 and underlying catch plates 16 are provided near their free edges with eyes or staples l2 for receiving hooks, as 43, on the lower side of the roof plate by which said roosts and plates may be held in their elevated positions while the nests are being cleaned or to facilitate the cleansing of the under sides of both roosts and the plates.

It will be observed that the partitions -28- dividing the nests one from the other extend some distance above the rear sides of the nest to approximate the horizontal plane of the under side of the plates 16- to support the latter in their normal horizontal planes, and allow the plates to serve as covers for the nests to prevent the entrance thereto of deposits from the roosts.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a hen house having a hollow upright wall, the inner side of which terminates above the floor level to form a clean-out opening, a row of nests within the housing some distance from and parallel with the hollow upright wall, a catch plate covering the tops of the nests and extending to the inner side of the hollow wall, and a roost above the plate in spaced relation thereto to form an intervening clean-out space, said space communicating with the chamber in the hollow wall.

2. In a hen house, the combination of a housing having a hollow upright wall, the inner side of which terminates above the floor level to form a clean-out opening, and is provided with another clean-out opening at a higher level, a row of nests running parallel with the hollow wall in spaced relation thereto, a catch plate extending from the lower side of the last-named clean-out openin across the top of the nests, and a roost a ove said last-named opening and the plate in spaced relation to said plate to form a clean-out space registering with said second-named opening.

3. In a hen house, the combination of a housing having a hollow upright wall, the inner side of which terminates above the floor level to form a clean-out opening, and is provided with another clean-out opening at a higher level, a row of nests running parallel with the hollow wall in spaced relation thereto, a catch plate extending from the lower side of the last-named clean-out opening across the top of the nests, and a roost above said last-named opening and the plate in spaced relation to said plate to form a clean-out space registering with said second-named opening, said plate and roost being hinged to the inner face of the hollow wall to swing Vertically to permit access to the nests from the top and also .for cleaning purposes.

4. A hen house having a hollow, upright wall forming a ventilating chamber, said chamber communicating with the interior of the house through separate passages at different levels, a row of nests supported within the house in a plane between said levels and provided with a hinged member adapted to swing to and from a vertical position, a catch plate hinged to the hollow wall below the uppermost passage to swing vertically and having its free edge normally resting upon the free edge of said member, and a roost hinged to said hollow wall above the uppermost passage to swing vertically toward and from said plate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of December 1918.

WILLIAM C. CLARE.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE,

ETHEL M. WILLIAMs. 

